Alycia and Lauren had IVF using donor sperm at Bourn Hall’s Wickford clinic and the treatment worked first time. “I am the first of my friends to have a baby, but if any need to go down the IVF route I would one hundred percent recommend Bourn Hall” says Alycia.
Put our wedding money towards treatment
“I have always known that I wanted to be a mum,” says Alycia, aged 28, from Essex. “I met Lauren when we were both in our third year at university and we talked about having a family one day. After leaving uni we moved in together and wanted to get married but decided to put the money we would have spent on a wedding towards having fertility treatment.
“Coincidentally my mum and dad had IVF at Bourn Hall in Cambridge. They had always been really open about their IVF, which worked first time. They affectionately call my siblings, who are now 18 and 16, ‘the test-tube babies.’
“We opted to go to the Wickford clinic, which wasn’t open when my mum and dad had their treatment nearly 20 years ago, and it was really convenient for us to get to.
“Before starting treatment we decided to share our plans with our family. Obviously my mum and dad had been through it and if it hadn’t worked I would probably have found it quite hard so I knew I would need someone to be able to talk to about it.
“We approached Bourn Hall in September 2021 and then it went really quickly from there.
Choose IVF as success rates better
“Lauren is the first girl that I had been with, so I’d always just assumed that I would get pregnant one day, so we knew that it would be me who carried the baby.
“We used Bourn Hall’s sperm bank and the staff were very helpful. They asked us what characteristics we were looking for – eye colour, hair colour, things like that – and we just picked things similar to us. They sent us some profiles and we chose one within the first five; they had narrowed it down for us really well. We found the process easy.
“We had IVF rather than IUI. We did consider having IUI but although IVF costs more the success rates are higher. My mum and dad having had successful IVF probably pushed us more towards making that decision.
Very nervous but all went well
“I had some tests done before I started the medication. I was very nervous about the medication because I am not very good with needles – blood tests and things like that make me feel a bit queasy – but once I had done it a few times it was fine.
“On the day of egg retrieval, they got 19 eggs, and after donor insemination we had seven embryos. I had the best quality one put in and then we went home. Waiting ten days to test was the longest ten days of my life.
“I did the pregnancy test when Lauren had gone to work, and I rang her straight away to tell her it was positive. I can’t even explain how I felt – it was just an amazing feeling, it was surreal.
“It had only been four months of appointments and injections and things like that, but it does take a lot out of you and obviously you do have a bit of doubt whether it would be successful, but it was amazing to think ‘wow, it has worked!’
“Everything was fine at our seven-week scan at Bourn Hall; the nurse turned the screen around to show us, and we started to get really excited at that point, we were over the moon. We had seen the same nurse at the Wickford clinic throughout our treatment, and she was so lovely.
I would recommend Bourn Hall to a friend
“Millie was born in September 2022 and when I got to hold her it was the best feeling ever. My life had changed forever; it was amazing. Looking back now I wish I had soaked up every second, but I was exhausted!
“I am the first of my friends to have a baby but if any of them do need to go down the IVF route I would one hundred percent recommend Bourn Hall, and if we decide to try for another baby, I wouldn’t even think about going anywhere else.
“IVF has given us the world; it is the best feeling in the world having children and we are very lucky that Bourn Hall was able to give us that. We also feel really lucky that it worked first time for us and also for my mum and dad both times. Our whole family feel so fortunate and grateful.”
Katie Warburton, Patient Support Specialist at Bourn Hall
Deciding to start a family is a big step. As a female same-sex couple Bourn Hall offers you a number of fertility treatment options, including IUI or IVF using donor sperm.
We can help you find a sperm donor and give you access to a regulated sperm bank, which provides greater assurances to you as a couple.
Another treatment option for same-sex female couples is Shared Motherhood. This treatment option enables you to both share a role and the experience of pregnancy.
It is also possible to donate some of your eggs, this significantly reduces the cost of your own treatment, whilst helping others to become a mum.
More information
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